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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/Undercover_Dragon1 on 2025-12-20 21:22:29+00:00.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! Lets find out how Ambass and David's discussion will go!
— Chapter 68 —
“The first question is important. Does the Queen hold sway over you to such a degree that you must tell her everything?” David rumbled down at the smaller dragon.
Ambass simply laughed, “Ohh. Finally someone asking the real questions! The answer comes at a cost though little Onyx. You will answer my question first and then I will answer.”
David rumbled a bit as he stared down at the little dragon and held back the desire to sigh. He had a feeling the sly dragon wouldn’t be as giving as he had in the past. David then nodded his massive head, “Ask.”
A wicked sly grin spread across the faerie dragon’s face as he spoke, “How long have you been awake, Onyx?”
David considered the ramifications of his answer and decided it was worth it, “Over seventy cycles now.”
Ambass’s grin faded as he blinked up at Onyx in shock, “You aren’t lying. That is far longer than I guessed. Does the Queen’s pull not dig at you to do as you promised and pay her a visit?”
David offered his own grin down at Ambass, “If you want that to be your next question then I expect an answer for mine first.”
Ambass huffed at David then let off a sinister little laugh, “Yes it will be my next question. As for the answer to your own, it is no. I am not required to tell her everything but if she gives me a mission she expects details and she is clever enough to know if I am holding too much back.”
David nodded his head. David knew from his past experience that the Queen seemed to expect everyone of her children to hold things back so dished out punishment until she was satisfied. He turned his attention back to Ambass, “Since I answered yours first already. You will answer mine first this time then. Is your mission just to check on me to see if I am awake and when I will be appearing before her Majesty?”
Ambass hissed out a little laugh again, “Very well. I was checking in with others that the Queen wished to track in the area. I got side tracked investigating something unusual and happened to check to see if you had awakened yet.”
David rumbled, “To answer your question. I do feel the pull and I am going to fulfill that promise soon. There was no time limit implied in my promise so I am simply getting myself oriented before I present myself again.”
Ambass let off another laugh at his answer, “Ohhh. Always full of surprises, little Onyx. I see you understand more of the Queen than most.”
David took a moment to consider Ambass’s words and his answer to his question. What was the chance that Ambass noticed the missing dragons in the area or even Voranle, David wondered? He glanced back down at Ambass and rumbled, “I am going to be frank with you Ambass. I have two questions that I need answers to. We can play this back and forth but I know the cost for the answers to these will be more than a simple question in return.”
Ambass quieted down for a long moment, “Ask your questions. I will state my price. Ah and we will keep these questions between us too. They do not seem relevant to my mission here.” The Faerie Dragon shot a little grin up at David and he laughed in response.
“Alright. The first is what makes one of us become an Elder Dragon? The second question is if there is a way to remove a trait, how do you do it?”
Ambass cocked his head and then began to float up to David's eye level before speaking, “One is not worth much and the other is worth considerably more.”
David nodded his head and then rumbled out as he called his trusty little kobold shadow to step forward. Snible came rushing forward as David rumbled, “Bring us both a variety of food and make sure our guest is well taken care of.”
The little kobold chirped quickly, “Yes Master!”
Ambass watched the whole exchange with a raised eyebrow and then laughed out, “Always a first with you. I have rarely been treated to the food of another. Quite refreshing. A fair exchange for the answer to your first question then but the second will require something far more valuable.”
David rumbled out, “It is only right to treat a guest with food but I will accept it. Tell me what you know about Elders.”
Food was brought in quickly. Plates were covered with a variety of prepared, cooked and raw meats. Then wooden bowls filled to capacity with berries and mushrooms were set down as well. They both dung in and David was rewarded by a surprised little gasp from the faerie dragon.
“Delicious and varied. What a curious experience. As for your question, little Onyx. The answer is one I know very little about. If I knew I would not be in the form I currently am.” The sinister little laugh followed before he continued, “I have been around for eons and I am still the way you see me. There is a factor at play that all Elders guard closely. I simply have a guess that it could be age for some but for others it is how their affinities or the abilities they absorb along the way interact. If I discover it you would certainly know!”
The little faerie dragons let off a long winded sinister cackle as he concluded and went back to eating his meat. David took a long moment to consider the implications of what he had just learned. Filling up his traits wasn't the route to Elder and he had a feeling that was the case since every Elder he has encountered to date was so radically different. Perhaps, Phoenix Essence, is a means to reach Elder status and that is why Nurdiangarh was so insistent upon it, David wondered.
He glanced back down to Ambass with a rumble, “What cost for my last question, Ambass?”
A wicked grin stretched across his face, “You are no fool but you know neither am I. You have grown significantly faster than any other of our kin. You also clearly possess further muscle enhancements you have collected that has contributed to your rapid growth in size. You could have hunted for them all from our prey but that would have taken much longer. Logic then leads me to the obvious question. How many of our kind have you consumed?”
David simply cursed in his head as he fought to suppress his emotions and not give anything away. Ambass was too observant and too experienced. He couldn’t have refused seeing Ambass without raising any red flags but he should have foreseen that he would have put the details together. Outright lying wasn’t an option but he didn’t have to admit to everything.
His massive form rumbled as he let off a heavy sigh, “I would never assume you are a fool, Ambass. Yes. I have been hunting in my area. I encountered many rivals of such troublesome temperament that I had to eliminate them.”
Ambass hissed out a laugh, “Ohh my. It is your right to hunt and grow stronger. I am simply surprised that one of your abilities would be so vicious. The significant drop in lessers around here then is your doing.”
David simply nodded his head as Ambass stared up at him for a long minute. The silence between the two hung in the air for almost too long before the faerie dragon simply nodded, “It is what it is. I will have to inform the Queen of why some of her children went missing. Do not worry though she is not one to care too much. Countless of your siblings die in these mountains every day and more will be born to replace them. What of the great forest? How do you keep the two legs at bay?”
David cocked his head as he snarled, “Another question? Did I answer your first for no reason?”
Ambass shifted slightly as David could tell he was pressing against his affinity just in case, “No it is simply that the cost for the answer you seek is so high. You are welcome to refuse to answer further.”
David huffed down at Ambass, “Fine, Ambass. I have come to a mutual agreement with them. I stay out of their forest and they don’t cross the river to attack me. It is as simple as that.”
Ambass squinted up at David again, “I have doubts it is that simple but I believe you. Fine. I am satisfied for now. As for your answer, it is a complicated thing. You must put yourself in a state of near death. Starve yourself and then consume poisonous mushrooms or plants. We as a kind are built to survive and our bodies will do whatever they can to keep us alive. Only in that low of lows will your body sacrifice parts of itself to keep surviving.”
David simply blinked and slowly nodded his head. It was insanity and yet it made a wicked kind of sense when you thought about it. After a long minute he rumbled, “You have seen it done before Ambass?”
Ambass simply let off a cackle, “Ohh yes. I have done far more than just observe it. I have done it. It is not a process I wish to repeat. You will be in a state of weakness like you have never experienced before. I highly suggest you do not consider such a thing until after you meet with the Queen.”
David rumbled again and nodded, “Of course. Do inform her Majesty that I will be there soon once I make sure my preparations are complete here at my lair.”
Ambass cackled out again and nodded his head, “I will take my time returning but do not take too long.”
David and Ambass shared a few more words as they finished their meal and then Snible escorted Ambass back out making sure to use the same route they did here in reverse. David let o...
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